NEWPORT, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – Voters across eight downs in the Newport area voted down the proposed school budget yet again Tuesday—meaning it is back to square one for RSU 19.
The results: 993 voted no and 678 voted yes.
This even after the school district cut $1 million from their initial proposal after it was denied back in June.
That alone would have forced as many as five teachers and other school personnel to lose their jobs.
"I'm somewhat disappointed…This isn't the way I want to start as superintendent here. I really want to change the message to focusing on students and not fighting over the budget all the time. I mean it gets tiring, Superintendent Mike Hammer said.
People were fearful of a tax increase that would have resulted had the referendum passed.
That increase would have been as much as 12 percent across area communities including the towns of Corinna, Dixmont, Etna, Hartland, Newport, Palmyra, Plymouth and St. Albans.
"I understand…you know it's hard to make ends meet and people don't want to pay higher taxes. I'm a single mother with three children. I own a home and it is difficult, but it is what it is. The cost of education is rising and we have to do what we have to do,” Emily Churchill, a resident of Newport, said.
Hammer said they now have to go back and look at what additional cuts can be made and it will have to be put to a public vote once again.
He said as the school year has started, they have already been quite frugal and he will do what he can to ensure it does not impact students.
"I have three children that go to school in this district and I just want them to get the education they deserve…I think they need to keep investing in education because people are going to leave the area. People aren't going to want to live here and raise children here if the town doesn't support the schools,”
One voter who voted against the proposed budget said she says the budget and resulting tax increases have gotten to be too much.
“It happened again and we have to pick up and move on,” Hammer said.
The detailed budget proposal can be found here.